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Music At New City

All students at New City School receive music instruction through a community partnership with MacPhail Center for Music. The MacPhail teachers are Sarah Hruska Olson and David Birrow. Ms. Sarah teaches students in Kindergarten-third grade, Mr. David teaches the middle school students in grades six-eight. Each music teacher works with one of the fourth/fifth grade classes.

Our innovative music curriculum emphasizes creativity along with sequenced musical skill building and hands-on learning in the Responsive Classroom tradition. Activities in music class include singing, movement, instrumental instruction, ear training and notation skills, working with musical technology, and composition. Starting in third grade, students learn to play the soprano recorder. Middle school students receive guitar instruction and create their own online compositions.

Both MacPhail teachers are mindful of national and state standards in music education and are trained in current best teaching practices, especially Orff Schulwerk and Gordon Learning Theory. In additional to our annual all school musical workshare, students have many informal opportunites throughout the year to share musical performances with the community. New City School students have also appeared at numerous MacPhail events, including a recent Community Partnerships recital.

Check out the MacPhail website, macphail.org for biographies of Mr. David and Ms. Sarah and to learn more about MacPhail Center for Music.